Officials with the department said some of the recorders, crucial tools in high-profile investigations involving alleged police misconduct, are having major problems.

“When the public looks at this decision when we are considering spending an additional $900,000 to make sure these cameras are working, I think the public should understand that this means we are placing a high priority on transparency within the police department,” said Alderman Nik Kovac of the Third District.

Kovac said the request for extra funding from the police department was made this week.

The council has approved next year’s budget, so the cash would come from the city’s contingency fund -- a move Kovac said is not ideal, but necessary for public safety.

“We are not paying some consultant $900,000 to check these things, we’ll be replacing the cameras as needed and we now realize we need to replace more of them as previously thought,” Kovac said.

In recent weeks, these recording devices have proved critical in at least two high-profile cases involving police officers.

An inquest into Derek Williams’ death will be held in February after a squad camera video surfaced showing him trying to breathe and begging for help before he died last summer in a patrol car.

A spokesperson for the police department said they upgrade video equipment when they buy new patrol vehicles, but it would be more cost-efficient to replace all the units through the contingency fund because there are so many squads that need the updated video recorders.